Quiz: Match the Jargon to the Sport: HowStuffWorks

Match the Jargon to the Sport

SPORTS

By: Robin Tyler

6 Min Quiz

Image: Shutterstock

About This Quiz

Did you know that there are over 800 different sports played all around the world? And this list is growing by the day. These sports range from the ones we know and love, like baseball, soccer, American football and ice hockey, to very obscure sports such as auto polo, banzai skydiving, extreme ironing and other examples. Of course, some are not taken as seriously as others (we're looking at you here, extreme ironing!)

Around 200 of these sports have national federations, and that makes them pretty serious. Why? Well, it means that they feature organized competitions to determine who are the best at whatever sport it is, be it a team sport or an individual sport. And of course, you know that unique jargon often is associated with sports, and that is what today's quiz is all about.

Do you think you know which sport you can score an "ace" in? What about a "six"? And which sport would you associate with the term "bonked"? Or the "Fosbury flop"? What about the strangely named "beezer"? Think you know? Well, then let's see how many sport jargon terms you can get right out of 35! Make sure you "hit it out the park!"

Which American sport would you see a "curveball" in?

Baseball

American Football

Ice Hockey

Racquetball

A curveball is a type of pitch in the sport of baseball. Curveballs will move through the air depending on the amount of spin put on them by the pitcher, making it difficult for the batter to hit.

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Originally devised from soccer, in what sport will you score a "try"?

Football

Rugby Union

Tennis

Lacrosse

Rugby Union sees teams of 15 players competing for victory over two halves of 40 minutes each. The highest point-scoring event in the game is called a try. It is worth five points.

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In which of these sports can you be "offside"?

Aerobatics

Squash

Soccer

None of the above

The offside rule in soccer simply means that an attacking player cannot be beyond the last defender when a ball is passed to him. Although it is simply, it's the interpretation by lines persons that often leads to controversy.

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A "360 toe flip" would be associated with which of these sports?

Paintball

Orienteering

Freediving

Skateboarding

The sport of skateboarding has produced some incredible athletes over the years. Think of Tony Hawk, for instance. These skateboarders push the boundaries, inventing new tricks often. An example of a skateboarding trick is a "360 toe flip."

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A "quarterback" is a position in which sport listed below?

Rugby Sevens

American Football

Rugby League

Patball

Perhaps the most important player on the field, a "quarterback" runs the offensive game for an American Football team. Effectively, he is the on-field general and calls all the plays when his team is on attack.

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In which sport would you see a "Back 2-and-a-half somersaults in the tuck position"?

Springboard Diving

Rallying

F1 Racing

None of the above

Springboard diving has many dive types, one of which is the "Back 2-and-a-half somersaults in the tuck position." In fact, dives can come from six different dive types. They are forward, backward, reverse, inward, twisting and armstand. Withing those dive types, there are four body positions as well!

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A "wide" would form part of which of these sports?

Quidditch

Quidditch

Rounders

Cricket

A "wide" in cricket happens when a bowler bowls the ball too far on either side of the batsman for him to reach it. Because he can't, the bowling side is penalized one penalty run and the ball needs to be bowled again.

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We're not sure we want to partake in a sport that features a "crotch lift." Which of these do you think that sport is?

Karate

Boxing

Wrestling

King Fu

Yes, wrestling is filled with many different moves, but the "crotch lift" sees someone try to lift their opponent by grappling them near their crotch area and throwing them over. Pass, thanks!

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A "fluffus" is performed in which of these sports?

Badmington

Trampoline

Rock Climbing

Rodeo

Care to try a "fluffus"? To perform one, you need to bounce on a trampoline and then manage a double somersault with a twist! Sounds tricky, that is for sure. Be sure you have something soft to land on off the trampoline, just in case.

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In which of these track and field events might someone do the "Fosbury flop"?

Javelin

High Jump

Long Jump

Triple Jump

The "Fosbury Flop" is a method of approaching the high jump. It was named after Dick Fosbury, who won the gold medal at the 1968 Olympics using this technique. Before, most high jump athletes used a number of other methods to clear the pole, including the "Western Roll." Today, the Fosbury Flop is the only way to do it if you want to compete with the best.

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Do you know in which sport a player would be said to have scored a "worldie"?

Rugby Fives

Field Hockey

Soccer

Sailing

A "worldie" happens when a player scores a goal in soccer. But it's not just any goal. It is a world class goal. For instance, a 35-yard shot from outside the box might be classed as a "worldie". It simply means world class.

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The captain is positioned at the "helm" in which sport?

Segway Polo

Sailing

Tenpin Bowling

Cricket Sixes

In sailing, you would definitely find the captain at the "helm" of the ship. And generally, he would have the steering wheel in his hand while barking orders to the crew. In competition sailing, though, the captain doesn't usually go down with the ship!

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A "bagel" is associated with which of these sports?

Tennis

Orienteering

Competitive eating

Tenpin Bowling

No a "bagel" is not something players eat during the course of their matchup. It simply means a player has routed their opponent. For instance, in a women's matchup, someone winning 6-0, 6-0 has a "bagel," with the 0 making the shape of the pastry.

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When someone records a "birdie" on their scorecard, which sport are they participating in?

Tug of War

Skeet Shooting

Canoeing

Golf

A "birdie" is when a golfer shoots one under par for a hole. For instance, if a hole is a par three, the golfer would have completed it in only two shots and therefore scored a "birdie".

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In which team sport would players be playing in a "barnburner"?

Mixed Doubles Tennis

Australian Rules Football

Ice Hockey

Roller Derby

In ice hockey, the playing area is often called a "barn". A "barn burner" is therefore a high-scoring game.

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Of the list below, which sport would you most commonly associate with "the pits"?

Motor Racing

Yak Polo

Volleyball

Ultralight Aviation

It's not a terrible place, really. In motor racing, all the various team garages are found in "the pits." During a race, a driver might bring his car into "the pits" to change tires or refuel.

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What sport includes a piece of equipment known as a "spoon"?

Lacrosse

Tennis

Squash

Badmington

Well it might be a spoon for giants, but the slang word for a lacrosse stick is a "spoon." It certainly does look like an oversized piece of cutlery.

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If you perform a "header," which sport would you be playing?

Rugby Sevens

Soccer

American Football

Zui Quan

There are many ways to play a ball in soccer. On the times it flies in the air toward a player, he might choose to "head" it to another team member or even at the goal. This simply means that instead of using his feet, he uses his head.

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An "ace" is seen in which sport?

Tennis

Water Polo

Skateboarding

Lacrosse

If someone serves an "ace" in tennis, they have won a point by making a service which their opponent could not hit, let alone return. You can only score an "ace" in your service game.

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If you need to shout "fore," which sport are you participating in?

Cricket

F1 Racing

Golf

Tetrathlon

"Fore!" is never a good thing in golf. If you hear that as a spectator, make sure you duck. It means a golfer has hit the ball off line and it is sailing into the crowd! (Note: If you're ordering hot dogs at a golf match, stick to three or five.)

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"Spike" is a term that comes from _______?

Unicycling

Tree Climbing

Volleyball

Trap Shooting

Volleyball is a great team game. When someone "spikes" the ball, they are hitting it as hard as they can into the opposition area, usually with a downward motion. This makes it difficult to return.

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"Beezer" is a term from which of these sports?

Boxing

Archery

Chess

Badmington

Beezer is indeed a term from boxing. But what does it mean? Well, a "beezer" is a boxer's nose, a frequent target for his opponent. If you can break your adversary's "beezer" he will have trouble breathing properly ... and be in a lot of pain!

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Originating in England, this sport includes a scoring method known as a "six"? Can you name it?

Soccer

Baseball

Cricket

Rounders

In cricket, batsmen score runs by hitting the ball into gaps in the field and running between the wickets. They can also score runs by hitting the ball to the boundary rope (a four) or in the air over the boundary rope (a six).

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In basketball, the free throw line is also sometimes called?

The Larry Bird line

Points for sure

The charity stripe

None of the above

In professional basketball, a free throw is not often missed. And that is why the free throw line is known as the charity stripe. It's like giving away points for free!

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From the options below, which sport would see a free-kick or penalty awarded for a "handball"?

Slalom

Soccer

Pushball

Ice Hockey

If a player is struck on the hand by a ball in the sport of soccer, the referee will give a free-kick for a "handball." If this happens inside the penalty area, a penalty will be given.

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When a triathlete has "bonked," what has happened to them?

They had to change their swimming gear that kept falling off.

They are exhausted and have run out of steam.

They had to change a broken running shoe.

They had to change a bike tire.

It's a strange term, but "bonked" or "bonk" just means that someone doing a triathlon has run out of steam. It's no surprise, really! Who wants to swim, run and cycle in the same race!

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From the answers below, which would you associate with the term "bank shot"?

Pool

Free diving

Standup Paddleboarding

Golf

In the sport of pool, a "bank shot" is when a player has made use of a side cushion to hit the cue ball into their target ball and then hopefully in the pocket. This can also refer to when the cue ball hits the object ball, then the object ball goes off a cushion.

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In baseball, a batter stands at the ______ when facing up to a pitcher.

Dugout

Bullpen

Mound

Plate

Batter up! When a batter readies to face a pitcher in baseball, he is standing over the plate. If the pitcher wants to strike out the batter, he'll have to keep his pitches more or less over the plate (depending on the umpire's strike zone).

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What sport gave us the term "deuce"?

Cards

Tennis

Billiards

Unicycling

Tennis has a very unique scoring system that starts in multiples of 15 and then goes to 10; for instance, 15-all, 30-all and then 40-all. 40-all is never said as 40-all. It is simply called "deuce".

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"Nutmeg" is a term found in which of these sports?

Wood Chopping

Xare

Competitive cooking

Soccer

When a player performs a "nutmeg" in soccer, he has cleverly kicked the ball through the open legs of his opponent, run past him and gathered the ball again. To be nutmegged is the ultimate humiliation on a soccer pitch.

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A person brought crashing to the ground by "death cookies" is participating in which sport?

Mountain biking

Water skiing

Road running

Quadrathlon

Mountain biking can be a very tough sport. And dangerous ... especially when going downhill fast. It's best to look out for medium sized rocks, known as "death cookies," that might throw you from your bike!

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"Touchdowns" are a way to score points in which sport?

Handball

Pool

Rugby League

American Football

A "touchdown" is the major scoring play in American football. It can be achieved in a number of ways but just needs a player to work their way into the end zone with the ball or to receive the ball there. It is worth six points.

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A "loop" is performed in which sport listed below?

Ultimate Frisbee

Aerobatics

Beach golf

Doubles tennis

The sport of aerobatics sees pilots performing a series of maneuvers for which they are scored according to difficulty level, efficiency and other criteria. One of these maneuvers, a "loop," sees the pilot pull up and continue to pull back on this flight stick until the aircraft has completed a full circle.

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In which of these sports would someone be "punch drunk"?

Tennis

Boxing

Bowls

Lacrosse

Punch drunk is a term from the sport of boxing. It is given to a boxer who has taken far too many hits and is staggering around the ring, not really knowing where he is. For this reason, they are said to be "punch drunk."

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From the options below, in which sport would someone hit a "grand slam"?

Golf

Cricket

Baseball

None of the above

Yes, a grand slam is certainly a phrase that comes from baseball. And what does it mean? It is a 4-run home run, a longball struck when the bases were loaded. This is a rare occurrence, and very often changes the momentum in a game dramatically.

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